Bridging the Skills Gap

One of the challenges that jobseekers may face when trying to find employment or re-employment is having out of date skills, or a gap, in their employment history.

Employers increasingly want to know, “what have you been doing in the past few months?”

Employers need job candidates to fill their positions that have up-to-date job skills, current experience or training that fits the qualifications of the positions they have open. The odds that you can hit the ground running using a software program, or applying the manufacturing skills that you used 10 years before are slim at best in the employer’s mind.

One way to get around this challenge while conducting a job search is to seek out and complete training that will help to update your skillsets, and show a positive activity on your resume.

In the Santa Clarita Valley jobseekers have many options available to them.

There are also a variety of training funding sources available for individuals who are out of work including veteran, low-income, and dislocated (laid-off) worker programs, just to name a few.

One such funding source is the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) funding accessible through the WorkSource Centers for unemployed or underemployed jobseekers.

If you are trying to get back into the workforce after being unemployed for an extended period of time, or find that you need to update your current skills in order to be marketable and find re-employment in your industry, then the Santa Clarita WorkSource Center may have just what you need to get back to work.

The Santa Clarita WorkSource has available funding on a first-come, first-serve basis to help you get the training you need, if you are eligible. For more information, stop in to our Center and attend one of our WorkSource Orientations taking place every Tuesday from 2 to 3:30 p.m.

Keri Aaver is the Interim Director of the Santa Clarita WorkSource Center at College of the Canyons. Her column reflects her own views and not necessarily those of The Signal. For more information about the Santa Clarita WorkSource Center services and workshops, call (661) 799-WORK (9675) or visit www.scworksource.com.